USA

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard given the green light for terrorism

It is now clear that operations of the terrorist group Hamas are being funded by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including the attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. Furthermore, there are reports of plans by the IRGC to carry out terrorist attacks on non-military Western targets, in an attempt to deter countries from …

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard given the green light for terrorism Read More »

The deterioration of India–China relations: the battle for influence in South Asia

India and China have long viewed each other’s global aspirations with suspicion. While their proximity makes them economically intertwined, their histories and geopolitical agendas have made their relationship fraught with distrust. India hopes for a multipolar international order in which New Delhi has a strong voice. Beijing wants to be a counterbalance to the US …

The deterioration of India–China relations: the battle for influence in South Asia Read More »

‘Silent Partners’ – organised crime’s profitable collaboration with sanctioned regimes

Three decades after the conclusion of Cold War 1.0, the global stage is witnessing an unsettling revival of Cold War dynamics and tensions. The fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 was supposed to mark the start of a new era. However, relations between the United States of America, Russia, China, Ukraine, Iran, North Korea, …

‘Silent Partners’ – organised crime’s profitable collaboration with sanctioned regimes Read More »

US attempts to weaken BRICS

With talk that Venezuela and Mexico are formally applying for membership of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), it is a good time to assess just what the Biden administration is trying to do to weaken and break up the trading bloc. The US succeeded in regaining control over the Philippines as part …

US attempts to weaken BRICS Read More »

The US vs China – who will draw back?

The two major powerhouses of the world’s industrial and financial markets are not just at odds with each other but are fighting a ‘cold war’ that threatens the very foundations upon which all countries operate. Both economies are suffering – and that’s partly as a result of policies enacted by their own governments. For China, the …

The US vs China – who will draw back? Read More »

Far-reaching consequences of the conflict in Sudan

The conflict that has broken out recently between army units loyal to Sudan’s military ruler and Sudan’s paramilitary is potentially a major cause for concern. It is reported that the fighting started in the capital, Khartoum, and in the city of Omdurman. The exact cause of the fighting is – for now – unclear, but …

Far-reaching consequences of the conflict in Sudan Read More »

The North-South corridor: the rise of the East

The International North-South Transport Corridor is a 4,500-mile network of ship, rail, and road routes for moving cargo between India, Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Central Asia. However, due to the recent normalisation of relations between regional enemies, Saudi Arabia and Iran (negotiated by China) has altered the North-South Corridor to include those nations. The rapprochement …

The North-South corridor: the rise of the East Read More »

Georgia – the second front of the U.S./Russia economic proxy war?

Revelations of corruption, money laundering and embezzlement from within the banking industry in Georgia does not, in and of itself, cause much surprise: that investigations by the Georgian Prosecutor's Office (coming to a head in 2019 ) resulting in charges of money laundering against several senior directors - Mamuka Khazaradze, the founder, his deputy Badri …

Georgia – the second front of the U.S./Russia economic proxy war? Read More »

China and Russia: Moving mountains

A summit is an appropriate place to talk of mountains, and so Beijing’s description of the Russia-China partnership as, at the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Samarkand, ‘stable as mountains’ is appropriate, if not entirely true. China has thus far been one of Russia’s few credible allies as the latter’s war in Ukraine stretches …

China and Russia: Moving mountains Read More »